Dredger.



No. 638,883. Patented Dec. I2, I899.

R. A. PERRY.

D R E D G E B (Application filed. New 9, 1899.)

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet I.

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- Patented Dec. 12, I899. n. A. PERRY.

I] R E D G E B Application filed May 9, 1899.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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No. 638,883. Patented Dec. l2, I899.

R. A. PERRY. DREDGEB.

(Application filed May 9, 1899.) (N 0 M o d e l 4 sheets sheei 3.

larged scale.

Nrrnn PATENT nnion.

RAYMOND A. PERRY, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THE ATLANTIC, GULF AND PACIFIC COMPANY, OF IVEST VIRGINIA.

DREDG ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 638,888, dated December 12, 1899. Application filed May 9,1899. Serial No. 716,130. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RAYMOND A. PERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, county of Alameda, State of California, haveinvented an Improvement in Dredgers; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the same.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus designed for dredging and excavating, and especially for dredging and excavating earth and material from below the surface of the water.

My invention consists in the parts and the constructions and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the air-tank. Fig. 3 is a plan on an en- Fig. 4 is a side view of the cut ters; Fig. 5, an end view of the same. Fig. (3 shows the gearing for the cutters. Fig. 7 shows the cutters interlocked. Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectionthrough the curved portion of the suction-pipe. Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail to be referred to.

In dredgers of the classin which a suctionpipe is connected with a cutter at the front and supported upon a ladder connected with the scow, so as to be raised or depressed as the out progresses, it has been customary to hinge the ladder to the front of the scow and to swing the whole structure,' including the scow, about some pivot-point, so that the digging apparatus may be moved over a considerable radius from side to'side to excavate a channel. tion-pipe are movable a flexible-hose jointhas been employed in the suction-pipe.

In my invention the scow A, which carries the suction-pump, the engines, and other ma- In devices in which the ladder and suc scribed hereinafter, is carried upon the front and lower end of the ladder and is driven through intermediate gearing E by means of a shaft F, which is suitably journaled upon the ladder. The upper end of the ladder is connected to a swivel post or barrel G, with which it is turnable from side to side, and below this center is a transverse journal, (shown at H,) about which the ladder is allowed to move up and down, so that the digging apparatus at the front may be sunk to any required depth. These two joints provide for any side swing and'vertical movement of the ladder and cutters. Thefront of the ladder is suspended and adjustable by tackle from booms I and amast J in the usual or any suitable manner.

In order to drive the shaft and mechanism, I have shown a gear-wheel K, the axis of which is coincident with that of the tubular barrel G, about which it is turnable. This gear receives its motion from a gear L, mounted axially, on a sleeve H in line with the horizontal shaft 11, and this receives motion through the gears N and intermediate mechanism from the engine which is carried upon the scow. Motion from the gear-wheel Kis transmitted by means of a spur-gear O to the bevel-gear P, by which the shaft F is driven. This arrangement of gear with relation to the stationary scow and the movable ladder having the universal-joint movement with relation thereto retains the gears in mesh, while allowing the ladder and the shaft carried thereby the utmost freedom of movement to carry the cutting apparatus and suction-pipe to any desired point with relation to the scow. As this ladder is necessarily made of great length and weight, it is necessary to provide some means for preventing its tilting the scow to one side and the other when the ladder is swung to either side with relation to the scow, on account of the great weight which would thus be transferred to a considerable distance outboard from the scow. In

order to effect this, I have shown an air-tank R, fixed to the ladder, and any suitable device by which the water within the tank may be displaced by a body of air which will have sufficient floating capacity to buoy up the ladder sufficiently to relieve the weight upon ICO the scow under the conditions previously named.

A convenient arrangement for removing the water'from the tank is to connect it with the suction-pipe and to control the opening or openings between the two by gate or valve 4", which can be manipulated from the pilothouse or other point through the medium of a chain-and-sprocket connection 20, as shown in Figs. 1 and 9, or other equivalent and wellknown mechanism. An air pipe or pipes 0 connect with the tank B, so that when the tank is connected with the suction-pipe for the purpose of removing the water the air is admitted to replace it. The tank may be made of any size and may be made in sections, so that any one or more of the sections may be filled or emptied at will. Similarly-disposed valves 7" serve to admit water to fill thetanks. Thesuction-pipeSiscarried upon the ladder and at the head ofthe ladder conneets with an S-shaped joint S, which is connected with and supported upon the post or barrel G. To the upper end of this section S is bolted a curved section T. The radius of its curvature is the center or shaft H, about which the latter turns in its vertical move ments.

T is another section of larger diameter having the same radius of curvature and into which the section T telescopes and moves whenever the ladder is raised or depressed about its horizontal axis. A suitable stuffing-box U forms a tight joint between the two and prevents leakage, While allowing perfect freedom of motion of these parts. The lower end of the section T connects by a suitably-curved section with the portion T of the suction-pipe which is carried upon the scow'.

This pipe connects with the rotary suctionpump W, and from the pump the dischargesection X delivers into the main conductingpipe Y, by which the dredged material is can ried to any desired distance and point of deposit.

In order to connect the pipes X and Y in such a manner as to allow fora change of direction with relation to the scow or for such uncontrollable movements as may be produced by the wind or waves, I have shown a horizontal swivel-joint between the two sections, as at Z. I prefer to connect the section T of the suction-pipe with thepump upon one side of the casing, so that any material which is small enough to pass through the pipe can also pass through the pump without choking or clogging.

In order to increase the efficiency of the cutters and to overcome atendency of a single cutter to twist and strain the ladder and connected parts, I have shown my cutters D mounted in pairs, the shafts of the cutters being so disposed that the cutters stand side by side. The gearing, which is plainly shown at E, is so disposed that power from the shaft F is transmitted to both the cutters, and the cutters are rotated toward each other, so that any strain upon the one is counterbalanced by the corresponding strain in the opposite direction upon the other. By this construction the apparatus digs and loosens up the material to be dredged with much greater facility and balances the strain, as before de scribed.

If desired, the cutters may be made to interlock, as shown in Fig. 7, so that by reason of the arms of each of the cutters continually alternating and passing between those of the other cutter the cutters are effectually cleaned and prevented from becoming clogged. In this case each alternate line of cutters (shown in Fig. 4:) should be omitted, so that the lines of cutters of one cutter-head may pass in the spaces between the lines of cutters in the other.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a dredging apparatus, scow, ashaft extending transversely across its front, a

sleeve turnable upon the shaft, a barrel mounted thereon and extending upwardly at right angles with the shaft, a ladder carrying the cutters and outer portion of the suctionpipe, the inner end of said ladder being supported by and movable with the barrel.

2.-In a dredging apparatus, a stationary scow, a shaft extending across its front, a sleeve turnable upon the shaft, and an upwardly-extending barrel supported thereon, a laddercarrying the front portion of the suction-pipe and the cutters, said ladder having its inner end supported by and turnable with the barrel, and gearing upon the shaft and upon the barrel through which motion is transmitted to drive the cutters.

3. In a dredging apparatus, a stationary scow, a shaft extending across its front, a sleeve turnable upon the shaft, an upward ly extending barrel, the axis of which is at right angles with the shaft, the lower end of said barrel being turnable upon the sleeve, a ladder upon which the front portion of the suction-pipe and the cutters are carried, said ladder having the rear end supported by the barrel, a gear-wheel upon the shaft through which power is transmitted from the scow, a bevelgear connected rigidly therewith, a similar gear mounted upon the barrel and engaging the gear upon the shaft, a second gear connected with the one upon the barrel and turnable therewith, and gears intermediate between it and the cutter-shaft whereby the latter is rotated.

4-. In a dredging apparatus, a stationary scow, a suction-pump and power mechanism carried thereon, a shaft extending across the front of the float, a loose sleeve upon aid shaft, a barrel having its axis extending upwardly at right angles from the shaft, said barrel being supported upon the sleeve, a ladder upon which the outer portion of the suction-pipe and the cutters are carried, gear ing mounted upon the main shaft, the barrel,

and the ladder, through which power is transmitted from the scow to drive the cutters, and a telescoping section of the suction pipe, jointed at one end to allow free motion to the barrel upon which it rests.

5. In a dredging apparatus, a stationary scow with suction pumping mechanism, and a portion of the pipe therefor, a second portion of the pipe projecting forwardly from the scow, in conjunction with cutters and driving-shaft, a turnable support for the inner end of the outboard portion, a curved telescopic section connecting the inboard and outboard portions of the pipe, and gearing between the scow and the cutter-shaft substantially as described.

6. In a dredging apparatus, a stationary scow with-a shaft across the front, a barrel standing at right angles with the shaft and supported thereon by a sleeve turnable upon the shaft, a ladder upon which the front portion of the suction-pipe and the cutters are carried, having its rear end supported and turnable with the barrel to allow the ladder to move from side to side, and means for buoying the front of the ladder consisting of one or more air-tanks whereby the scow is relieved from the weight of the ladder when the latter is turned to either side.

7. In a dredging apparatus, the combina tion of a stationary scow, a ladder extending forwardly therefrom and carrying the front portion of the suction-pipe and the cutters, a horizontal shaft across the front of the scow, a barrel supported therefrom and carrying scow having power apparatus and suction-- pump carried thereon, a ladder having a universal-joint connection with the front of the scow, cutters mounted in pairs upon the front of the ladder, mechanism intermediate between the cutters and the power apparatus whereby they are driven in unison and in opposite directions.

9. In a dredger and in combination, a scow, a ladder, power apparatus carried upon the scow and mechanism driven therefrom cutters mounted in pairs and rotating in unison toward each other, and a suction-pipe whereby the dredged material is removed.

10. The combination with a dredger comprising a scow, a ladder, suction pump and pipes and power apparatus, of cutters journaled in pairs upon the front of the ladder and rotating in unison toward each other with their arms interlocking whereby they are constantly cleaned.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

RAYMOND A. PERRY.

Witnesses:

P. P. CARROLL, GEO. LAW. 

